Okay, so you’ve planned for a 3pm workout. It’s 45minutes long. You’ve got your exercise clothing on and your water bottle nearby. You’re ready to workout, but there’s one more thing to do – put your phone on airplane mode. It’s 2023, and from what I see in my classes, with clients, and with myself, the cellphone is the #1 workout sabotager. It has a tendency to intrude, interrupt, and disrupt. I know there are...
The idea that “gentle” is for babies or for the injured, but aside from those specific demographics, you should be embracing intensity, is still alive and well in the world today, but not in my world. In my world, gentle is sustainable, nurturing and a winning aspect of longevity. What is a gentle workout? First, gentle might just be slower. It might just be shorter. It might just be avoiding certain ranges of motion that cause pain. Gentle doesn’t mean less effective. Secondly,...
Ladies, it’s our nature to ebb and flow. Our energies and moods fluctuate and our needs constantly shift. One day we’re extroverted and have loads of energy, and the next day we might need to prioritize a good nap. In 2013, the big catalyst for writing the 28 Days Lighter Diet was my realization that our culture ignores – and rewards us when we do – one of the most important aspects of women’s health, the menstrual...
A happy body needs happy hamstrings, yet nobody pays much attention to their hamstrings unless they’re tight or sore. I say ignoring your hamstrings is a fitness cardinal sin. Here are three simple ways to create some hamstring happiness: 1. Give your hamstrings a massage. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you and knees bent. Then take your fingers and “dig” into the backs of your thighs. Start behind the knee and work...
You want to know what the most neglected, underrated, and underestimated aspect of physical fitness is? Extension. In most people’s daily life – and in their workouts – the body stays in its tiny little box, never busting out. Overtime, ranges of motion get smaller and smaller, and the body’s comfort zone shrinks. In turn, the body is easily uncomfortable. Don’t be an average Joe! Take this call to action: be sure to stretch. Stretching can...
The other day, I heard a word and knew it was special: vitalist. A vitalist is someone who believes energy is what it’s all about, and therefore wants to optimize it. A vitalist seeks vitality – he or she is an “energy snob” so to speak, but in the best way. It’s important to know that we can conjure up more vitality, not always but very very often. Here are five big vitality boosters: 1. the consumption of high...
I was just talking about how I like to get creative with naming workouts and here I come out with a “boring” title that’s not all that exciting, and seems a bit generic. I know, I know….but the workout told me its name. The workout was adamant it be called FEEL GOOD FLOW. All the other names (“Barre Flow” was a frontrunner) were shot down by this workout’s incessant whispers I couldn’t drown out. Feel Good...
More and more I see the reciprocity between the body and the mind. Let’s face it – exercise gives us a leg up in life. It’s a well-being tool, not merely about physical health. I heard the term recently, whole self thriving, and just love it. That’s how I feel about exercise – it’s whole self thriving – and that’s probably why I prioritize it. So let’s all prioritize regular exercise. Let’s Move! and let’s thrive. 💚
One of the best things about exercising is that there are instant results. Maybe it’s standing taller. Maybe it’s feeling stronger. Maybe it’s being more embodied. Whatever the instant results are, we usually don’t pay much attention to them. We move on with our day, and often don’t take a single moment to acknowledge the positive shifts that might have occurred. Yoga classes do have that moment, and it’s usually immediately following Shavasana, right before class ends....
You go house hunting, and upon walking into a dream home that’s up for sale, you have so much enthusiasm for it, you can’t contain yourself. You love this house. You want this house. It’s the one! BUT, then your spouse whispers to you something like, “Shhhh….play it cool. Tone it down,” because the realtor is watching. This scenario is truly painful for me not just because I’m bad at playing it cool, but because repressing enthusiasm feels...
